The new Emperor’s sudden challenge to Cui Xingzhou caught everyone off guard. Summoning a meritorious official’s fiancée to the palace was highly inappropriate. The courtiers waited to see how Cui Xingzhou would respond to this provocation.
As Cui Xingzhou’s expression turned cold and he prepared to speak, the Empress, seated behind and eating pork knuckle, laughed and said, “Your Majesty, don’t jest with me. I’m not suited to be a teacher. Besides, Miss Liu has endured much on her journey. Now that she’s in the capital, she should enjoy herself and explore. Entering the palace to learn strict etiquette would only tire her more. However, I do enjoy lively gatherings and often invite ladies to the palace. Miss Liu could join these gatherings to learn from the other women!”
Empress Shi, with her plain appearance and straightforward manner, placed a duck leg on the Emperor’s plate as she spoke, instantly easing the tension. It was as if the Emperor had truly been joking with her earlier.
Liu Yu had been caught off guard by the sudden revelation of the truth, leading him to impulsively order Mian Tang to enter the palace. As soon as the words left his mouth and he saw Mian Tang’s cold expression, he began to regret it.
He knew that publicly embarrassing her would anger her, given her temperament. In the past, he had always been careful not to upset her…
Fortunately, his rough-mannered Empress intervened timely, stabilizing the precarious relationship between the monarch and his subjects.
Moreover, as the Empress suggested, he could summon Mian Tang to the palace during future tea parties and banquets. Then, he would naturally have the opportunity to speak with her privately.
They were only engaged; as long as they hadn’t completed the wedding ceremony, it wouldn’t be considered stealing someone’s love. He hoped Mian Tang wouldn’t stay angry with him, now that he had the power to keep her by his side.
With this in mind, the new Emperor softened his tone, saying, “The Empress speaks wisely. I hadn’t considered it thoroughly.”
The palace banquet resumed its harmonious atmosphere, with toasts and pleasantries exchanged as if nothing had happened.
Regarding Cui Xingzhou’s request, the new Emperor graciously agreed. However, citing that they were only engaged and not yet married, he granted Mian Tang the title of Huaisang County Lady instead of an official rank. He also generously awarded her land and property.
The title “Huaisang” (Chinese wisteria) carried the meaning of reminiscing. Only those intimately familiar with their relationship would understand this subtle reference.
Cui Xingzhou, however, understood perfectly well. He realized the Emperor was using the title to provoke his fiancée, hoping Mian Tang would remember their shared past.
Unfortunately, the Emperor had miscalculated. Due to her head injury, Mian Tang had completely forgotten her past with Zi Yu. She couldn’t recall any of their history together.
Cui Xingzhou was quite reassured about this point. The marriage contract was signed in black and white; since Liu Mian Tang had signed and sealed it, she had to honor it. When he had her sign the contract, he had appeared accommodating, as if he would let her go if things didn’t work out.
But if Liu Mian Tang truly dared to try and break their engagement in the future, she would learn what it meant to be unable to leave once on board!
In the following days, both of them became extremely busy. The Prince of Huaiyang naturally had countless social engagements, while Mian Tang, as a newcomer to the capital’s social circle, also had a constant stream of social interactions.
Unlike in Lingquan Town, each social event now required new clothing and accessories, with no repetition allowed. She also had to carefully remember every person she met at these gatherings.
Mian Tang was spinning like a top every day, her mind full of tasks. Sometimes, she would return to her chambers, wash her face, and fall asleep on the bed without even removing all her hairpins.
Cui Xingzhou, however, seemed to have boundless energy. Despite being as tired as her, he would still wake her up for intimate encounters even when returning late at night.
During their stay in the capital, they temporarily resided in a mansion awarded by Emperor Kai Xuan.
Mama Li now resembled a tightly strung erhu, constantly producing a steady stream of questions for Liu Mian Tang: “Miss, if the Prince’s mansion were to host a tea party in April, which would be more appropriate: the water pavilion or the mountain villa? How should the seating arrangements be made?”
Mama Li’s questions were serious, and Mian Tang answered them with equal gravity. She had filled two large notebooks with information about banquet etiquette and customs.
As for the decorative objects, polo, tea appreciation, and other such matters, she could barely keep track of them all.
Mian Tang felt she had never studied so diligently in her life, but truthfully, these were not subjects she enjoyed learning.
However, after that palace banquet, Mian Tang realized that if she didn’t master these skills, the Emperor might use them as an excuse to pressure her into entering the palace. So, she applied herself with utmost dedication, abandoning her usually carefree attitude.
Yet, whenever Mama Li left satisfied after her questioning, Mian Tang would collapse onto the soft couch behind her, imagining how carefree and happy she would have been if she hadn’t agreed to sign the marriage contract. She wouldn’t have to attend so many banquets or learn all these troublesome rules.
Unfortunately, she accidentally voiced her regrets aloud, and as luck would have it, Cui Xingzhou had returned early from a banquet and overheard her self-talk.
In recent days, Cui Xingzhou had been attending numerous palace banquets, often returning with the scent of alcohol on him.
He had hoped to return home, feign drunkenness, and have his fiancée’s delicate fingers massage his temples. Instead, he entered to hear Mian Tang muttering about how she shouldn’t have signed the marriage contract.
This struck a nerve with Cui Xingzhou. He stood motionless in the doorway, his face as cold as frost, waiting for her to console him.
Mian Tang turned to see him glaring at her, then rolled over on the bed, pretending not to notice him.
After standing there for a while without her coming to comfort him, Cui Xingzhou strode over and grabbed her ankle, asking, “Tell me, how exactly do you regret it?”
Mian Tang allowed him to pull her, rolling into his arms. Smelling the strong scent of alcohol, she said dutifully, “My Lord has been drinking. Would you like Mama Li to prepare a sobering soup?”
Cui Xingzhou pinched her earlobe and said, “Don’t change the subject. Explain what you said earlier.”
Mian Tang dodged his hand and replied, “A gentleman doesn’t eavesdrop on private conversations. I haven’t even complained about you entering my room without announcing yourself!”
Cui Xingzhou grasped both her hands and planted a kiss on her luscious lips, saying, “You belong to me entirely, let alone this room!”
The once ethereal and aloof husband, Cui Jiu, had been completely transformed. Mian Tang blinked, feeling his actions were somewhat domineering, yet such unreasonable words from his thin lips filled her heart with a subtle joy.
So she remained silent, simply smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. However, when Cui Xingzhou tried to deepen the kiss, she laughed and pulled away, saying, “You reek of alcohol. Go wash up!”
In truth, she was lying. Cui Xingzhou hadn’t drunk much, and the scent of alcohol was quite pleasant. But it was still early, and such intimacy seemed inappropriate.
They weren’t yet married, but they were already living together like an old married couple. The Prince of Huaiyang seemed to have pent-up desires from his time in the Northwest and was now enamored with bedroom activities, hardly resting for a single night.
At first, Mian Tang was fine with this, but as time went on, she began to feel overwhelmed. She discreetly asked Mama Li, an experienced woman, if all couples behaved this way.
Mama Li quietly informed Mian Tang that ordinary men didn’t possess such stamina. The Prince’s vigor was exceptional, and his behavior stemmed from his deep affection for her. However, she warned that continuing at this pace could easily deplete a man’s vitality and wasn’t good for his health.
Mian Tang recalled seeing those dissipated young nobles with dark circles under their eyes and weakened bodies, all drained by wine and women. Imagining Cui Xingzhou becoming like that in the future worried her, and she decided she could no longer indulge him so freely.
So when Cui Xingzhou finished bathing and returned to Mian Tang’s room to sleep, he found the door bolted from the inside. Unable to open it, he heard Mian Tang’s voice from within: “It’s getting late, my Lord. Please return to your room to rest. I’m feeling quite tired and have already retired…”
Cui Xingzhou frowned outside the door and said, “It’s not your time of the month, and even if it were, I could still hold you as we sleep. Stop this nonsense and open the door!”
Inside the room, Mian Tang wanted to bury her head under a pillow. He even remembered the timing of her menstrual cycle! What would Bi Cao and Fang Xie think if they overheard?
When she had signed the marriage contract, she had intended to use the time before their official marriage to get to know each other better, without pretense or lies, exposing each other’s flaws.
Life on North Street had been too perfect; every time Mian Tang thought about it, it felt like a dream, with the two of them living like the loving couples in stage plays.
Perhaps it was because of how wonderful that time had been that Cui Xingzhou was so determined to marry her. He might have even deceived himself.
So Mian Tang now abandoned her previous demeanor of a perfect, virtuous wife, occasionally revealing her mischievous side. If the Prince had second thoughts, they could discuss dissolving the engagement before the wedding.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that after signing the marriage contract, there would be no opportunity for the gradual adjustment she had envisioned. Or rather, they were adjusting, but not in terms of getting to know each other’s personalities and temperaments!
Spending every day in such intimate proximity, even Mian Tang, a free-spirited woman from the jianghu, felt it was somewhat improper!
So today, she was determined not to open the door. She couldn’t indulge his whims, or the Prince would eventually become weak-eyed and soft-legged, while she would be seen as a vixen draining men’s vitality!
After knocking on the door a few times, Cui Xingzhou suddenly went silent. Mian Tang poked her head out from under the covers, slowly exhaling in relief. But as she turned around, she saw a tall, robust figure standing by her bed.
Cui Xingzhou had just bathed, his long black hair loose, wearing a loose white robe as white as snow. He was coldly staring at her with lowered eyes!
Mian Tang was startled to see him, springing up in bed. She prided herself on her keen hearing, yet she hadn’t heard a sound. She glanced at the window by the table and realized it had been opened from the outside. The Prince had broken in like a thief.
“Since entering the capital, you’ve become increasingly disobedient. First, you talked about breaking our engagement, and now you won’t let me into your room. Liu Mian Tang, are you trying to rebel?”
As he spoke, he lifted her, ready to spank her.
Mian Tang quickly begged for mercy, explaining that they weren’t officially married yet, and it wasn’t proper to be so intimate daily. Moreover, Mama Li had said that men shouldn’t overindulge themselves, and even married couples in the Prince’s mansion would have separate rooms.
Cui Xingzhou countered, “Back in Lingquan Town, you told me that we weren’t truly husband and wife if we didn’t share a warm bed, and you urged me not to neglect you. Why are you putting on airs now? … Could it be that you truly regret being with me and are waiting for your Zi Yu to take you back to the palace as his consort?”
Mian Tang hadn’t expected him to bring up her past with Young Master Zi Yu again. Angered, she retorted, “I don’t remember any of that, nor do I want to be with him. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll go to the palace to learn etiquette from the Empress!”
Cui Xingzhou, now holding her soft form in his arms, felt his anger dissipate. Hearing Mian Tang threaten to enter the palace, he calmly replied, “Go ahead. But know this: if you step into the palace, I’ll lead my troops in to bring you back.”
Mian Tang believed Cui Xingzhou might do such a thing. She blinked and said, “Don’t say such things. If ill-intentioned people hear you, they might think you’re planning treason! By the way, the Empress has indeed sent me an invitation to taste some new pastries created by the palace confectioners tomorrow.”
Without a second thought, Cui Xingzhou raised his eyebrows and said, “You’re not going! Tell the Empress you’re unwell and afraid of passing a cold to her!”
Mian Tang responded, “You’ve already declined invitations for me several times, and your memorial requesting a transfer back to Zhenzhou has been suppressed by His Majesty. We can’t keep this standoff going; otherwise, won’t he keep you here forever?”
Cui Xingzhou grunted, “He’s just a puppet propped up by the Grand Empress Dowager. What power does he have to keep me here? He’s just trying to carve up the spoils.”
Currently, the court officials were busy discussing how to divide the Northwestern Army, using the pretext that local princes shouldn’t command excessive troops to pressure Cui Xingzhou into relinquishing his military power.
The reason they dared not use force was that the Northwestern Army was stationed just outside the capital, answering only to Cui Xingzhou.
The Three Jin region was now in a tense standoff. Besides the Northwestern Army, there were troops loyal to the Grand Empress Dowager’s favored generals, as well as the former Yangshan forces, all facing off against Cui Xingzhou’s Northwestern Army.
Some elder statesmen had also come to pay their respects to Cui Xingzhou, privately expressing their concerns about the current emperor’s questionable lineage and legitimacy. They hoped the Prince of Huaiyang could use his military might to restore order to Da Yan and depose Emperor Kai Xuan.
The Huaiyang Prince’s mansion in the capital was bustling with activity. Cui Xingzhou had begun to see through the intentions of Prince Sui, who had been keeping his distance.
Throughout history, overthrowing an emperor to seize power had always been a dirty job, laden with infamy and bloodshed, with no guarantee of securing the throne.
Prince Sui, having grown accustomed to playing the role of a virtuous prince, naturally wouldn’t want to do such dirty work. So he had pushed his imperial nephew forward to bear the world’s condemnation.
Truthfully, Liu Zi Yu, having spent half his life in exile, did have questionable origins, and the Empress was indeed a coarse person, insufficient to command respect.
Now, some were urging Cui Xingzhou to step forward and restore order to the realm. If Cui Xingzhou were truly ambitious and in command of a powerful army, he might be tempted. If he were to make a move, the capital would surely descend into chaos.
At that point, someone would take advantage of the situation. Prince Sui could then step in to quell the unrest, ascending to the throne with a reputation for virtue, and becoming the righteous ruler of Da Yan!
However, Cui Xingzhou had no intention of falling for this trap. His childhood mentor had taught him that a gentleman should act according to circumstances without being swept along by the current, thus becoming a pillar of support.
The troops under his command had been tempered in bloody battles and would never be handed over to others.
But if someone wanted to use him as a pawn to bring down Liu Yu, they would likely be disappointed.
However, consistently refusing the Empress’s invitations for Mian Tang could create the impression that the Prince of Huaiyang was arrogant and disrespectful to the current emperor, leading to a stalemate.
So Mian Tang had thought long and hard and felt she should attend: “Constantly refusing isn’t a solution, so when the Empress sent someone with the imperial decree today, I accepted.”
Cui Xingzhou frowned, “Aren’t you afraid he won’t let you leave?”
Mian Tang smiled slightly, “You’ve already said that if they dare to detain me, you’ll send troops to retrieve me. What do I have to fear? Besides, I’m not going alone. Princess Jia Xuan, the late Emperor’s most beloved daughter, has also been invited. She’s known for her integrity and is highly respected within the imperial family. A few days ago, I met Princess Jia Xuan at the Left Minister of War’s wife’s banquet and gifted her a set of miniature painted plates from the Lingquan Town shop. She was quite pleased, so tomorrow I’ll be going to the palace with her entourage. Do you think Princess Jia Xuan would return with an empty carriage, leaving me alone in the palace?”
Cui Xingzhou had been busy attending banquets these past few days, while Mian Tang, now the Huaisang County Lady, had naturally become a darling of the capital’s social scene, with constant social engagements.
Cui Xingzhou knew Mian Tang was skilled in social interactions, but he hadn’t expected her to win the favor of someone like Princess Jia Xuan in just a few days. The princess had been widowed at a young age and never remarried. She was known for her eccentric personality and aloof nature, rarely socializing with anyone except a few favored noble ladies, and never with scholars of humble origins.
Mian Tang smiled, “Someone like me wouldn’t normally catch the princess’s eye, but I learned that she and her late consort shared a deep love, which is why she never remarried. So I went to some trouble to obtain rubbings of the princess and her consort’s portraits. I also had Master Chen paint a miniature of the princess looking into a mirror while combing her hair, with her eyes reflecting the image of her consort pinning flowers in her hair behind her. Perhaps the princess felt that I understood the depth of her feelings, so she’s been kind to me!”
In truth, Mama Li deserved much credit for Mian Tang’s quick familiarity with the capital’s past affairs. She had accompanied the Imperial Consort during her stay in the capital, attended countless tea parties with noble ladies and empresses, and knew more than many young ladies from aristocratic families.
So for this palace visit, as long as she accompanied Princess Jia Xuan, she needn’t fear the Emperor doing anything improper. The always proper and serious Princess Jia Xuan wouldn’t allow herself to be drawn into murky waters or risk being blamed for losing the fiancée of the great general from the Northwest.
After explaining her plan, she noticed Cui Xingzhou silently watching her and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Is my plan not good?”
Cui Xingzhou reached out and stroked her face, feeling his earlier worries had been unnecessary.
This woman was like a live fish, highly adaptable and able to thrive anywhere. He just needed to keep an eye on her, lest she swim too far away.
“You’ve arranged things very well, much more tactfully than I would have. “
Mian Tang felt he was overpraising her and smiled, “Isn’t this just because I don’t have military power and can’t speak as forcefully as you? I had to come up with this roundabout solution. If I were a man commanding troops, I wouldn’t bother with all this trouble. I’d just strap on a sword, kick down the palace gates, and walk in. Then, whether I stayed or left would depend entirely on my mood!”
Cui Xingzhou thought about it and realized that such an action wouldn’t be entirely unexpected from Liu Mian Tang.
However, now that the matter of entering the palace was settled, it was time to address the issue of her not letting him into her room.
Mian Tang giggled as he questioned her, then expressed her concerns about his health.
Cui Xingzhou dismissed her worries, “Do you think I’m like those weaklings? If I weren’t worried about your delicate condition and you’re not fully healed injuries, and if I didn’t hold back, you’d be unable to leave the bed daily! You’re already not getting enough, and now you want to reduce the frequency? You’re asking for punishment!”
That night, Mian Tang finally experienced what Cui Xingzhou was like when fully satiated.
It was nearly noon, almost time to enter the palace when she finally managed to get up. Her waist ached as if she had ridden a horse on an urgent military march for eight hundred li through the night.
By the time she was fully dressed and adorned, Princess Jia Xuan’s carriage had arrived at the mansion gate. As agreed, she boarded the princess’s carriage to enter the palace together.
However, Princess Jia Xuan noticed that the Huaisang County Lady’s movements as she boarded the carriage were slow, like those of an old woman with a back injury. She asked, “A few days ago when I saw you, you seemed so lively. Why are you like this today? Did you hurt yourself?”
Mian Tang couldn’t very well explain the cause of her sore waist to the long-widowed princess, so she simply smiled and said she had strained her back while practicing archery. She then skillfully steered the conversation towards the topic of health preservation.
Princess Jia Xuan, being of advanced age, was most interested in health preservation. Mian Tang’s medical knowledge, gained from her diligent study in the Northwest, proved useful here. She spoke knowledgeably, like an expert.
Princess Jia Xuan felt that although this county lady was of humble origins, her manners and etiquette were not inferior to those of noble families. Most importantly, her words and actions aligned perfectly with the princess’s preferences, making her a rare and delightful companion.
Moreover, her fiancé, the Prince of Huaiyang, was also a rare, upright official – valiant in battle and uninvolved in the messy business of court politics. He maintained a dignified stance towards both the new emperor and the old ministers, adhering strictly to his duties.
This also pleased Princess Jia Xuan, so she treated the Prince of Huaiyang’s fiancée with particular kindness.
When they entered the palace gates, the other noble ladies also alighted from their carriages. They greeted each other cordially before proceeding together to meet the Empress.
Empress Shi was dressed very festively today, in a pink long dress embroidered with white flowers, which made her appear even plumper. Her attire was already eye-catching, but she had also adorned her head with red flowers, creating a rather inelegant color combination.
Princess Jia Xuan frowned at the sight, thinking that the palace ladies-in-waiting should resign. How could they allow the Empress to dress in such a manner?
Moreover, the theme of today’s tea party was quite ridiculous – tasting pastries. Did she think the noble ladies of the capital were all gluttons like her?